NETFLIX, GIVE US SEASON2 NOW!!!
Ok let me get this out of the way, it is obvious or at least im hoping that they intended to make this a multi-season show just like the other Netflix exclusive Kdramas - Kingdom, Love Alarm and My Frist Love, so please Netflix give them to us NOW.Now that im done ranting, lets get to the good parts:
1. Cast and characters. I love the leads, and the other characters, and the way they are developed. There was enough mystery with each of them to keep me wanting to see more. Plus, Im not going to lie i came for NJH.
2. The story. Refreshing take on the monster-ghost- good versus evil story. Have you ever seen any other show where ghosts turns into jellies? I bet not. If you have, tell me, i want to watch it too.
3. Good special effects.
The problems:
1. They ended season 1 without properly explaning what happened in the finale. One moment they were building the story to reach the climax and then poof, its finished, just like that. What happened to that giant jelly?
2. I have to wait for Netflix to when or if they want to release the second season, do you know hard that can be?
So again, heres one begging Netflix to give us the next installment. Rewatchability is an 8 just because NJH is here. However if youre the type who likes to binge watch a series because you hate cliffhangers, i suggest to just wait a little (maybe a year or so) until we have the second season.
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A unique but strange watch.
The whole storyline is quite odd, but it works so well. There is pretty much a different mystery every episode so it doesn't get boring. I honestly think I loved every character. The first episode is very strange and had me wondering if I should continue it, but I feel if you enjoy the oddness of it, you will enjoy all of the storyline.It truly is something I haven't seen yet in a kdrama. The effects are very high quality and well done, truly amazing to see and can't imagine the work that was put in. The effects are very cutesy at some points looking like little pets or candies, and at other points quite scary fitting the ghost/horror vibe. The story is very cute and humorous with some darker tones. It has so many aspects that I enjoy in a show.
It has only 6 episodes so I found myself thinking "there doesn't seem to be enough time to finish the story well enough" but it wrapped up nicely. I do wish it was longer but I feel satisfied with how the story progressed. However I also feel there could be more added on eventually in a new season if they wanted.
At some points a noticed a few plot holes or points that were missing and I was left thinking "wait what happened?" but I eventually figured it out. I do think rewatching it will give me some clarity on parts I may have just missed. All in all didn't have many issues and kept me focused, I didn't skip every 10 seconds like I do with some dramas.
The main leads were lovely, seeing Nam Joo-hyuk in this he seemed way older than other dramas I've seen of his. He fit the teacher role surprisingly well. Jung Yu-mi was very charismatic and she fit the odd-strange school nurse so well. At some points I cringed over how odd the character behaved but it just shows how well she acted because it's exactly what was intended.
Finally to close this off, I do think it's worth watching, the story has many different elements and can make you laugh or cry. I even found myself crying and that's rare for me! The strangeness was so new and fun to see. It's a cute watch that it is truly unique and honestly a breath of fresh air that I felt I needed from dramas.
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Unexpected
One way to summarize 'The School Nurse Files' would be: "Unexpected, strange and unique."From the very first minutes of the series you start to wonder what you got yourself into. At the end of episode one you get stuck into this mindset of "I need more, what was this?"
This series won't fit everyone's taste but if you get rid of all common sense and logic you will surely enjoy it.
You won't be able to understand majority of the story if you skip on this one during episodes, the episodes need to be watched in its entirety for them to make some sense and for the story to flow.
As a fan of anime and comics, I can honestly say this fits my taste and it's something I've only seen in Japanese dramas, it's ridiculous to say the least at times, but isn't that something to be enjoyed? The real world is already too bland as it is.
A gem who will be appreciated over time!
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Incoming: mild fever dream
Wow. What an…experience.Objectively, I had a few issues with the drama’s execution. Not-so-objectively, this is a perfect show to accompany a couple of spiked seltzers (ahem...only if you're of legal age, please): it’s cra-zy. Loco, I tell you.
The School Nurse Files is not your conventional television show, let alone your run-of-the-mill K-drama. It really does have a “Netflix original” vibe to it (as I would describe such a “genre”): creative and at times disturbing, but most importantly, outlandish. Each episode is a trip into peculiar jelly (warning: gross to look at) encounters, meeting eccentric characters, and the resulting chaos. Mixed together with moments of dry humor, the show can feel overwhelming at times, but is unexpectedly entertaining.
I can picture this drama as suiting those with more niche preferences, so I wouldn't recommend it on a whim. The computer graphics are done so well that the resulting creepiness can be physically off-putting. And though our main character may be a toy sword, BB gun-wielding fanatic, this show’s themes are quite serious and—on certain occasions—dark. Altogether, it’s a weird cocktail of comic tomfoolery and harsh reality that’s the first of its kind in the K-drama realm.
In terms of writing, the length of the drama turned out to be a handicap. The story was interesting enough, but the progression was slightly faster than what I prefer. With even one more episode, I think the pacing could have been smoother and the message of the show would have come across much stronger.
While I liked the characters, none of them were developed to their full potentials. In the fantasy genre, where plot tends to be overpowering by nature, it’s important to build characters as interesting human beings in order to complement such compelling stories. I don’t think that was entirely accomplished here, and that’s my main qualm with the show. The characters are supposed to be strange. Most of them are supposed to rub you the wrong way. But then what? They fall flat. Altogether, the freshness of the plot is what carries you through the show.
Admittedly, my initial interest was due to Nam Joo Hyuk. Jung Yoo Mi being on the cast list was an extra plus. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two of them performed excellently. Jung Yoo Mi excelled in her oddballish yet emotional lead role, and Nam Joo Hyuk’s portrayal of a mellow and genuine sidekick was equally fun to watch. Oh, Nam Joo Hyuk. Never could I have expected him, of all people, to lead me...here. But here I am. In jelly-world.
Because it’s such a unique drama, there’s really no way of predicting whether you’ll enjoy it unless you try it. This is one of those rare shows where watching the first half hour is likely enough for you to make an accurate judgment about how much you’ll like the rest. So, empty your mind and jump in…just…your head needs to be totally empty to accept the amount of insanity it’s about to encounter.
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What's so good about being normal?
"Unless it's something bad, it's better to be weird than ordinary"To write a review on the School Nurse files is to imply I have somehow grasped what the School Nurse files is all about. The show's glorious acid trip weirdness defies analysis and yet feels deliberate. After all - as our male lead says as we head into the plot's explosive denouement - "it's better to be weird than ordinary". And the School Nurse Files definitely walks its own talk.
At a Korean highschool where the kids recite cult-like verses on happiness every morning, an emotional whale floats overhead and ducks follow the leader through the school randomly. The children *appear* happy, according to our school nurse, Ahn Eun-young (Jung Yoo-mi). But when it comes to life - and especially to adolescence - it's what's under the surface that matters more.
Since birth Eun-young has seen 'jellies', a kind of supernatural human residue that grows and forms into different shapes. Armed with a toy gun and rainbow toy sword she fights the jellies that have grown so big as to be a threat to the humans around them. In this she is aided by Hong In-pyo (a Nam Joo-hyuk who is finally living up to his potential), the grandson of the school's founder who has a disability following a motorcycle accident when he was young. In-Pyo has a powerful aura that acts as a supernatural shield and Ahn Eun-young is able to recharge by holding his hand.
But this school is no ordinary school, it was built on a pond of emotional residue that a cult hopes to harness for its own advantage.
The School Nurse Files is a crazy ride of symbolism and metaphor and I'm not sure to what extent we're supposed to take it literally. But the show is unconventional and original and flat out weird. A celebration of weird where everyone is encouraged to let their freak flag fly. The show's aesthetic leans deliberately away from kdrama gloss. The kids have acne. The adults look real. Nam Joo-hyuk's model looks and height are transformed into a gawky, clumsy awkwardness that is 1000 times sexier than the usual sanitised gloss..
The only reason it's a 9 - and the only real issue I took with it - is that it's packed into six episodes like a pocket rocket ready to explode and it really needed at least one or two extra episodes to make the whole thing feel less rushed. But in the final estimation that's not a huge problem. I'll happily take another season - hell another three seasons - if I can see Eun-young fight evil while holding her adorable boyfriend's hand.
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An adventure
Beyond the absurdity and quirkiness , what shines through is the ability of the director/screenwriter to pull us in this world that they created. I had my doubts about Nam Joo Hyuk and his ability to match Yoo Mi but he is effortless here. This is probably the first drama of his where I was unable to see the model in him.
The story goes places that are unpredictable but once the central theme sets in, the social interactions are the highlight.
Dramas like this are such a breath of fresh air in a sea of cliche and I am glad that I stuck past episode 1.
Get ready for an adventure and be open minded. You will not regret it.
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Feels like watching a live action version of Ghibli movie mixed with Ghost at School anime series
Absurd, weird, and tickling. Rather than seeing this drama as disturbing, I find it satisfying, LOL. I must also admit that it's so much better than what I expected when watching the trailer.Maybe you find it confusing as they don't make the story line obvious, but well, I personally feel that's the only thing that it's lacking. Instead of expecting this to be like any other K-drama, I suggest you to expect it to feel like anime series or maybe some Ghibli movies. Yes, this drama wouldn't focus on the character relationship development, but the character point of view in life and their daily adventure. I finish it in 1 day because every episode feels so fun to watch.
And oh, feel so happy to finally see new quirky female lead character that I like. Me likey!
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This review may contain spoilers
i can't give anything a 10/10 because that doesn't exist but also it's all arbitrary anyway.well it is certainly unique. there's a translation of a chapter or two of the novel where it comes from (https://koreanliteraturenow.com/fiction/excerpts/chung-serang-school-nurse-ahn-eun-young) and that will give you a huge working basis of the story themes wise. it's pretty straightforward and not at all. the jellies feed off of emotion and who knows how they even got there.
there is nothing normal about anyone in this drama. or, if there is, they stand out. but even the "normal boring ones" aren't or have their scars. there in lies a bit of a problem; because the story is so wondrous and in its own world it doesn't answer a lot of questions or it makes you pose many to which you won't get a response. a big one is that people trust the world they are in. for the teenagers it makes sense because adults are supposed to be trusted, though they can hurt them immensely. for everyone else either they're in on it or inconsequential.
there's also questions about attachment. one story in particularly i still question what it meant but it doesn't make it any less beautiful. there are cons from a technical standpoint but i can let them go because i felt so enamored and disgusted and sad and happy. it's also so fucking funny. the dialogue has a lot of meaning and it seems like everyone is a second away from a psychotic break but that's just life.
the best thing it does, which the original story definitely reflects, is make the fantastical world a physical manifestation of its themes. there's the question on how some of them come to be and some make sense. others we ask: why are they there? and they simply are. the use of adolescence is perfect because it's a time in your life when you're becoming something but also being told what that something should be.
the world embodies conformity, the jellies and interesting reflection of all the differences and weird shit around us. the authorities, whoever they may be, wants its people to live in "safe happiness" which is nothing at all. or it wants to make money and suck happiness and fortune from others. it shows the world as the antagonist for these people. but they're all fucking weird. weird is both a pejorative and a positive. it deals with being an outsider, being a woman, growing up, how things can majorly affect your life. the will to live when everyone tells you you're strange or wrong. in pyo as a disabled character is incredibly important and they don't shy away from the difficulties but he's also a more physical way of letting us know that we can love people and accommodate them, be mindful, and have genuine relationships. they're up and down and fucked up but you want the best for your life and theirs. there's a lot of beauty in it along with the worst parts of life. "what can i do but live it out, just like you couldn't avoid the crane?"
it's also super philosophical. definitely definitely (i think) pulling inspiration from his dark materials, horror like jordan peele and stanley kubrick, and the mark of a director who is really interested in the silly and bizarre and evolving psyche particularly in women. she also has a pattern of exploring sexuality and gender (within and without the binary.)
the acting from everyone is great. jung yu mi shines. she's so small, so melancholy, so grumpy. but so funny and weird and she embodies ahn eun young who wilts and perseveres. nam joo hyuk is surprising in this role because it's....natural. he has grown immensely. a big thanks to the director and the cast and crew for drawing that out but also for him for genuinely showing growth. i hope this isn't an anomaly. because acting is a craft and something you should practice and want to hone. some people can and some people can't. everyone else is also a gem. the ensemble class are fucked up and wacky but we end up loving them. they're the pinnacle of awkwardness and the worst parts of growing up. and when what the authority wants "safe happiness" gets ahold of them they shun all the things you're not supposed to be: different. all these young kids and/or younger actors do a great job. and the teachers, especially the key weirdos, and the few appearances by some very integral characters are fantastic.
the thing is you can't really pin it down. i feel like the review makes it seem normal in any sense of the world and it is not. it's a fever dream in a way. mostly i compare it to the confinement and release from a psych ward. the music is gorgeous, seriously gorgeous. the theme song is beautiful and strong. korea's musical roots being used for something as deep as spirits and growing up, years of collecting time and humanity, is beautiful to hear. and then there's the themes of being strange and out of this world. i also love how the sound cues didn't come where expected.
every part of the show was taken seriously but the show doesn't take ITSELF seriously which is a conundrum. but it's an absurd world! we live in it! do your best, cry, and have fun.
this leads me to the directing and editing. it was fucking magnificent. if anything else, i would rewatch it for this. i love her style already but the editor brought the vision to life in such amazing ways. there's one scene where it's a teenage recreation of a shaman practice but it was meant to show their true joy and ecstasy of being together and it was cut super well. you know when editing is good, bad, or mediocre. usually people say when you can tell it's edited that's bad (which i agree with, it takes you out) but it made me realize how good the direction and editing were. the emotional beats, the blocking, the sequences pulled me in because nothing about this world was normal but i was there. i wanted to keep these snapshots in my mind. save them forever and have them inspire me, too.
i would rewatch it...i think. im lazy but yea.
overall it's a story about placement in the world. that's inherently sociopolitical—that's something you can't escape from with art and it doesn't let itself. but it lets itself play out in a way that's nonsensical. it's construction is thought out and intense, but it also knows that life isn't meant to be lived so confined so it comforts you with the burden of life. there's a lot of talk about life, creation, surroundings and it's very philosophical in the way that it isnt at all. in my darkest times i go back to some of my favorite quotes. many of them are on suicide and life by camus. the show embodies that. it even says it. basically: death is easy, life is difficult, but it's worth being present and feeling everything.
they tell us: you're trying your best. keep doing it. there's no getting better and laughing at the top of your lungs to success. you don't need to drain other people to reach wellness. there's survival and being happy and all of that shit is mixed up. and there's no normal; what the hell is normal anyway? there's a reluctance to face yourself, keep going, and want to have a beautiful contribution in the world. why not? so what? you can be selfish and selfless and angry and crazy and kind and love and be loved.
"what can i do but face it? what do you know about me anyway? my problem isn't some story in a comic book"
"they're not that different. i'm saying you should use weapons. don't hurt yourself and have fun while you're at it. be someone who is loved by others."
"how am i supposed to fight them alone with this?"
do you know who i am? i am school nurse ahn eun young.
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This review may contain spoilers
A bizarre series of events with eccentric main leads (or acid trip)
Nam Joo Hyuk's character does say in the drama that "if its not bad, its better to be weird than ordinary" and while thats a cliche quote which contains truth, it ideally represents what the director had envisioned but lack execution for this drama. To be fair I am still not sure how to judge this drama because although this drama is not that fast paced, there are a lot of skipped explanation and the plot was bizarre, therefore this drama I felt sacrifice much needed extra explanation over wackiness. Each episode forms as a short adventure in a high school which our main leads have to solve (well, mainly the nurse with Nam Joo Hyuk kind of tagging along), with the broader mystery of the school's history and the school nurse' real responsibility slowly being revealed, and how that ties in with the random series of unfortunate events thats happen to the students.~Strengths~
Stylistic choices with this drama fit well with the strange-ness of the plot, the cute CGI effects was really well done, with the duo fighting squishy jellies (monsters?) looked like the highest quality animation live action I've seen. The plot, from what I can guess after 6 short episodes and without reading the book its based of on, feels like a monster catching story with the monsters as a reflection of emotional problems (however not 100% sure). There are many short and spotaneous and plain WTF moments, with a bit frentic energy like the anime Noragami. I also love the nurse's BB gun and little candy store like-sword, perfect representation of a comic book hero. Although the leads act well and the connection with "aura" is endearing yet not fully explained, I still don't understand their relationship, and with not much explained, don't exactly understand how they will fit in the story. The music was cute and really set my expectations for a wacky but cute drama, which delivered, however, this drama had a more serious and dark undertones too which I did not expect - "lighthearted" situations were confusing to intepret especially because they had serious implications that was just glossed over. At some point, I thought it was going to being a horror story, but even that I'm not 100% sure if it was meant to be.
~Weaknesses~
Maybe it was a stylistic choice to leave much of the plot hanging. Like why did the students steal the cushions? Whats the connection to the symptoms and the student's issues, how does everyone just accept the nurse can see things that doesnt exist, why does this school keep running after all of that - none is explained and that left me frustrated as the plot just moves on. The structure of this drama...doesnt follow traditional ones, and its left up to you to connect the dots after each ep. Some is explained later on (last ep) but even then I'm not sure if I should continue - being confused is ok, but they didnt leave enough clues for me to anticipate season 2. The ending was also adrupt and left the mystery hanging with many questions unanswered.
TLDR: Bizarre acid trip of a drama, watched for fighting cute squishy monsters but left a bit shocked at the somewhat dark implications, feeling lost about the tone and left confused about the plot. Unsure whether I will rewatch again.
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Confusing but compelling
I honestly don't know what i just watched... it was a weird mix of creepy, funny, confusing and pretty (yes, the weird little jellies are cute as hell).I feel that the ending was super rushed and there are many things that are not explained throughout the episodes, so you just assume a lot.
I was left with the feeling that I just watched the second season of a show without watching the first one.Be it as it may, I just could not stop watching the drama!
The acting was great, the whole concept of the drama was awsome, but it's missing a lot of explanations and you'll feel like there are a lot of loose ends when you finish it.
In all it was an experience, a nice but weird one, and I would totally watch a second season.
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and two, I don't know what they teach to all korean writers but they cannot explain their plot in less than 16 eps and they need 100 side plots to distract people from the main plot, so in this it felt like they had a 16ep plan that got reduced and they just picked random events fit the drama.
I'll cut this into 2 story points too,
one is the main plot around the fl and the ml which was ok, they explained well why she used toys and they even gave her a nice solid base that didn't feel flat. she had a past and she didn't just "start" when the drama began, most stories do that they give us a written back story and the main character starts from point 0 when the drama starts so they are as clueless as the viewers -which might have it's charming points but it's over done.
she had friends and a life around her and I really liked her arc with the friend though again like everything else in the drama it was not used well. also she cried weirdly alot, they literally had her flop down like a 5 year old and cry ;)
on the other hand the ml felt flat, he didn't have much base and he just felt like he suddenly manifestation for the fl's story. he didn't have much characteristics, friends or a life outside the fl..
and the other part is the kids..
I feel like they were the weirdest thing, their stories were weird, their actions were weird that they felt exactly like the jellies, they were floating around with their plot moves as if they too only existed for the fl's arc
my favorite part and character was Mr. Mackenzie, not because I'm biased with yooteo, but his character added conflict, mystery and depth to the story. though I think he just disappeared, I didn't pay too much attention to the last two eps..
for acting I think both mains did a better job than their previews works, Jung Yoo Mi was less awkward than her character in live and Nam Joo Hyuk finally broke away from the teen roles they forced him on, he really felt like a nice grownup.
the music was as weird as the flavor of this drama but it was nice and I never rewatch stuff.
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The School nurse files is beautifully weird
This is the weirdest Korean drama I have ever seen in my whole life. I had no clue what was happening in episode one and two, I am being so honest here I didn't even understand many parts but from episode three things get understandable and make more sense.An Eun Young is a new nurse teacher at school. She has a special ability to see jelly-like monsters that are made from the residue of human desire and she can also eliminate these jellies. Hong In Pyo is a Chinese language teacher at the same school. He has a special energy. In order to protect the students, An Eun Young and Hong In Pyo work together to eradicate these jellies. I love Mr. Mackenzie (Yoo Teo), he appears from episode three, from then things get very interesting.
So the school was built on an ancient burial ground. There is a hole where the air flows. This place contains so many energies. The energies feed off children's laughter. As they are feeding on the energies, jelly-like monsters are created. The Grandfather who wanted to channel those energies the people were worried about Mr.Hong and safe happiness changing the world. Control the breathing hole and change the luck and you will have the power to rule the nation. That was the plan designed by Safe Happiness. To those who are strong, the place will appear normal. However, it draws in the who lack energy. That's why people keep jumping in
The CGI team did a great job in VFX. The jelly monsters looked so real and also the special effects and other graphics are excellent. It is something to be praised cause it's really good. Coming to the writing, The drama is very trippy, it's as if someone wrote this drama doing acid. It's quirk and fun. also, the music is really good. Lesbians! Lesbians are everywhere! Episode 6 is bloody the best episode in this drama. Must watch! It opens up social issues and I love it. We see a lesbian couple and we see a lot more crazy things happening in the school. My favorite episode is three and six.
Overall, The School nurse files is beautifully weird. It's very trippy and hard to understand, proceed with caution cause your in for some next level supreme existential crisis. I really loved, to
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